Category: Food

Hi there! I will be whipping up a treat with this at the weekend, but wanted to know your thoughts on it and spread some awareness of its origin and uses.

P.A.N is actually an acronym meaning “Producto Alimenticio Nacional”, translating to “National Food Product”, originating in Venezuela and is seen as a staple in Venezuelan diets. It is also used widely across the rest of South America and cornflour such as this is also a used in a lot of African cooking too, and can be used in a similar way to Italian Polenta.

Main uses include Venezuelan arepas and empanadas – yummy! It also boasts no additives and is great for those following a gluten free diet.

Now for the hard part…

As violence, political and economic instability continues in Venezuela, it is estimated that 3 million people have fled their homes, with at least 1 million now based in nearby Columbia. This figure includes 300,000 children, some of whom are travelling alone leaving them incredibly vulnerable. It is predicted that by the end of 2019, this number will rise to 5.3 million.

Below are some stark statistic from Save The Children US, on the impact this current situation is having on children still in Venezuela:

I will be making an Inspired by Venezuela recipe later this year, but for now if you would like to have a look at some of the other South American Recipes, I have put together a list, including delicious recipes like Crab and Sweet Potato Fritters to Piri Piri Style Turkey Breast!

Remember all recipes are created for you not only to enjoy, but to also raise awareness of the struggles these countries face on a daily basis, so if you would like to make a donation to Save The Children, who are working everyday to support children around the World, please visit my just giving page by clicking the link Just Giving for more information.

I was lucky enough recently to attend a vegan Korean cooking course with the amazing chef Da-Hae West, (check her out here https://dahaewest.com), which gave me a lot of inspiration as well as making my own Kimchi! One of the things I got to make was a vegan pancake, which is super easy, super delicious and can be adapted to suit your tastes, adding things like prawns, chicken, more chillies, no chillies it’s up to you!

I have made my own version here using lots of asparagus and ginger accompanied by two dips that I think work really well, one vegan and one full on mayo! If you have a go at making this version, or your own, get in touch as I would love to hear about your creations!

For the Chilli Mayo: 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 1tbsp. mayo, 1 red chilli thinly sliced with seeds if you like the heat.

Method:

First remove the woody ends from your asparagus

Then add to boiling water and boil vigorously for 2 mins

Drain and plunge into cold water and set aside while you make your dips and batter

To make the Chilli Mayo, add the sliced chilli to the rice wine vinegar and set aside until ready to serve

For the Sesame Dipping sauce, mix all of the ingredients together and set aside until ready to use

Mix all of the ingredients together for the pancake except the asparagus so that it’s combined well but no need to over mix

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan now add half of your pancake batter and pop 10 of the asparagus spears on top of the mixture so that they melt down into the mixture

Cook for 3 – 4 minutes on one side until you start to see air pockets form on the top

Now turn your pancake over (you can flip if you are brave, or use a spatula like me!), add some more oil if you notice that the pan is dry and continue to cook on the other side for 3 – 4 minutes, longer if necessary, you want it to be crispy but not burnt

Repeat the same for the second pancake with the remaining mixture and asparagus

Once both of your pancakes are ready, add the finishing touch to your Chilli Mayo by adding 1 tbsp. of mayo and mixing well

Enjoy!

Remember all recipes are created for you not only to enjoy, but to also raise awareness of the struggles these countries face on a daily basis, so if you would like to make a donation to Save The Children

As many of you return to work this week and school after the summer break, let’s have a look back at the Feastforfamine recipes in August. I hope you enjoyed the recipes and even got to try some out, and whether you had a staycation or travelled further afield I hope you had fun and are feeling well rested.

First up in August was a trip to the USA for the healthy but delicious Key Lime Pots, the aim of this recipe was to try and keep all the flavour of this American classic, but without the calories and cooking time, I hope it worked!

Remember all recipes are created for you not only to enjoy, but to also raise awareness of the struggles these countries face on a daily basis, so if you would like to make a donation to Save The Children who are working everyday to support children around the World, please visit my just giving page by clicking the link Just Giving for more information.

Dukkah is a great way to add texture and a little spice to salads, stews, eggs or anything you like and this recipes makes enough to fill up one old spice jar, so you will have a batch to keep you going.

Ingredients: 1 large courgette or two medium, small can of chickpeas drained, juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp. olive oil, small bunch of parsley chopped, small pinch of chilli flakes, salt and pepper, 1 – 2 tbsp. of Dukkah.

Method:

Spiralise or julienne the courgette, place in a bowl and add a good pinch of salt and then leave in the fridge for 30mins

After 30mins drain any excess water off, of the courgettes

Now construct your salad by mixing in the chickpeas, lemon, oil and parsley and pepper to taste

Sprinkle over as much dukkah as you want and add a small pinch of dried chilli flakes

Enjoy!

Save The Children have been working in Egypt to provide better healthcare, social and educational standards for children. By working with government Save The Children have put in place standards for those living in care and working closely with agriculture and cotton industries to better protect child workers and providing opportunities to learn, giving children a chance to live a life outside of poverty. To find out more please visit: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/middle-east/egypt

And if you would like to make a donation via this blog, please visit my Just Giving Page, by clicking the link here Just Giving

2. Peel and thinly slice the onion and fry in the olive oil with the dried spices on a medium heat for 5mins

3. Add your cooked potato, sweetcorn and chopped coriander to the onion and spice mixture and cook for 2mins more to ensure all ingredients are covered in the onion and spice mix

4. Turn off the heat and leave to one side to cool

5. Preheat your oven to 180f

6. While you are waiting for the mixture to cool make the Pea Raita by combining all ingredients and giving it a good blitz in a food processor, pop in the fridge until ready to serve with your samosas

7. Now make your samosas, check out the video here https://youtu.be/09Upx-kVIvQ that shows an easy way to roll the pastry, I used a little olive oil to brush at the end to hold all in place and a little over the top before popping them in the oven

8. Pop in the oven for 25- 30 minutes until golden

9. Serve with the Pea Riata

10. Enjoy!

350,000 children are currently at risk after India’s eastern coastline was hit by Cyclone Fani, they need water, food and shelter. As well as this recent disaster, one child in twenty dies before their fifth birthday from preventable diseases and an estimated 12 million children are employed as child labourers, often in dangerous conditions. Save The Children are currently there trying to provide help and support to these children to provide them with a better future…to find out more please visit: